Reason #1 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney believes in Americans, that they are capable, innovative and remarkable as individuals and as a people. Give Americans life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with a minimum of rules and regulations, and they will take it from there, surprising the world as they have done in the past and will continue to do in the future with all that can be accomplished.

In the meantime, Romney's opponent marginalizes the abilities of Americans to be responsible for their own decisions, marginalizes the achievements of Americans who have followed and accomplished their American dreams, and marginalizes the idea of Americans rising without government intervention.

Reason #2 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney has common sense that trumps ideological mumbo-jumbo every time.

Reason #3 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney is interested in upholding and defending the Constitution, not marginalizing, disregarding or trying to change it.

Reason #4 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney is not and never was stuck in remedial economics.

Reason #5 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney is opposed to adopting the failed government models of other countries.

Reason #6 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney can run on his record.

Reason #7 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney isn't into passing an inheritance of debt down to his great-grandchildren . . . or mine.

Reason #8 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney leads from the front of the pack, not from behind.

Reason #9 to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney believes in less government, not more.

10 Reasons to Vote for Mitt

Mitt Romney can keep his "story" straight without a teleprompter.

Violence in America

Our nation reels again with news of horrific acts of violence caused by a single shooter in Colorado.
It's no secret that Americans love their violence--on the screen, that is.
Should we be surprised when, as violence on the screen escalates, so does violence in America?

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

Getting the economy straightened out is front and center now. I get that.
Meanwhile, whether we like it or not, wars and contention are escalating in the world that may necessitate our involvement. Nobody wants to think about that, but some Americans must think about "providing for the common defence."*
Double meanwhile, President Obama continues to pare down the military as if being nice and doing away with the military also does away with the need for one. He also goes about making apologies to world leaders for what he deems as politically incorrect U.S. manners. Can he be trusted to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity?"
No . . . NO . . . NO!

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
*Preamble to the Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

And Then There Was Change

Most politicians promise change.
It's hard to recollect a politician who used the promise of change more than Obama did in 2008.
And then there was change.
It appears he's using the promise of change a lot less to sway voters in 2012, if he's using it at all.
Maybe that's because the kind of change he peddles hasn't worked itself out for the country or for himself.
And maybe that's because there's no evidence it ever will.

The Truth Comes Out . . . Again

I'm still trembling (literally) after watching the clip of President Obama challenging the American dream with these words, "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."*
This statement and those preceding it are raw unprocessed Obama.
It's hurtful to millions of Americans who have made untold sacrifices in the name of their American dreams, including my own family in this generation and those of the past. Look to your own family, past and present, for examples. You will find clear evidence that American dreams are realized through adherence to time-honored principles embedded in the Constitution, not through benefits and infrastructure provided by the government.

* http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/17/business-groups-criticize-obama-over-remarks-about-government-role-in-success/#ixzz20u1jFYRA

Water Party Today

This afternoon, my three youngest granddaughters, ages one to five, came for a water party in the brook that runs through my backyard. We splashed and waded, caught water skippers and sent leaf "boats" from one end of the brook to the other. Afterward, we dried off and shared mac and cheese with chocolate milk. It was great fun under sunny skies.
Lately, I've been wondering what kind of world these little ones will live in as adults.
I want for them a continuation of opportunities for their own American dreams. 
That means less government and less debt, not more.
Mitt Romney for president.

For the Strength of the Hills

Today in church, we sang the patriotic hymn, For the Strength of the Hills, based on verses written by Welch poet, Felicia D. Hemans (1793-1835).*

One stirring stanza in the hymn is: 

"We are watchers of a beacon

Whose light must never die;

We are guardians of an altar

'Midst the silence of the sky.

Here the rocks yield founts of courage,

Struck forth as by thy rod.

For the strength of the hills we bless thee,

Our God, our fathers' God."*

Hermans' "appeal lay in her ability to write emotional verses expressing the sentiments of her time"* And ours. 

*http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hemans/biography.html
*http://www.losthymnsproject.com/14_Texts/For_the_Strength_of_the_Hills.pdf

Mitt Romney and the NAACP

It was brave of Mitt Romney to accept the invitation to speak before the NAACP. It might have been safer if he had changed elements of his consistent message, but he didn't. And he was booed when he said a goal of his presidency would be to repeal Obamacare.

Meanwhile, President Obama turned down the same invitation. 

Mitt Romney is now being criticized for supposedly setting the NAACP up to boo him.

Ya gotta love America--even though--politics can be confusing to an average citizen.

George W. Bush Did It

Congress is upset about news of the US Olympic Team uniforms being made in China.

Newsmax* quotes Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid as saying, "I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile, and burn them and start all over again," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi added, "they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America," and House Speaker John Boehner said, "You'd think they'd know better."

Something tells me with a little digging, this uniform fiasco can be blamed on George W. Bush,

*Newsmax, July 13, 2012-- http://www.newsmax.com/US/Olympics-uniforms-made-China/2012/07/12/id/445194?s=al&promo_code=F749-1 

We Need A President, Not a Salesman

President Obama is well-known for carefully crafting his "story" to match his audience. In an interview with CBS News' Charlie Rose, he made this incredible statement on point:
"When I think about what we’ve done well and what we haven’t done well. The mistake of my first term – couple of years – was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that’s important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times."*
President Obama appears to be in a bubble of denial, not even attempting to connect the dots on his failed policies. It's a stretch to believe he is completely clueless. Look, even an infallible salesman can only get away with selling products that don't work for so long! 
We need a president, not a salesman. 
Today, more than ever, we need Mitt Romney.


*+http://www.mediaite.com/online/obama-on-biggest-mistake-of-his-presidency-to-cbs-policy-was-right-salesmanship-was-lacking/

"Home of the Brave"

The history of American music is like a brush stoke on the canvas of music history.

I realized that recently while taking a crash course at BSU.

A nation's music is often descriptive of its character. No surprise there.

The surprise is in realizing that American music is as diverse, as innovative, as stunning, and often as startling as Americans themselves--everything from John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring to Stevie Wonder's Suspicion, and that's not even a start.

Yup. The home of the brave is like that.

Leftist Values

In his book, Still the Best Hope, Dennis Prager describes three primary value systems presently vying for world authority. In Prager's words, "The future will be Leftist, Islamist, or American."
He continues with, "Left refers to the values associated with the Western welfare state, secularism, and the vast array of attitudes and positions identified as left, from Karl Marx to contemporary socialist democrat parties, and today's Democratic Party in the United States. Identifying leftist values and explaining why people adopt them is far more difficult than identifying and explaining American values or Islam and its values."

Islamist Values

In his book, Still the Best Hope, Dennis Prager describes three primary value systems presently vying for world authority: Islamist, Leftist and American. 
He states, "The three ideologies are incompatible."
According to Prager, "Islamist does not refer to the 1.3 billion people around the world who identify with Muslims. I am referring to those within the Muslim world who wish to see as much of the world as possible governed by Sharia, Islamic law.
The word Islam means submission to Allah, and that submission is manifest by adherence to Islamic law in a state that is governed by Sharia, and whose leaders are Muslim clerics, though strictly speaking, there are no clergy in Islam."

American Values

I probably learned in elementary school that every American coin is etched with the words 

• LIBERTY
• IN GOD WE TRUST, and 
• E PLURIBUS UNUM (out of many, one)

Back in the day, I could read the words on coins without verifying them with a magnifying glass.

Dennis Prager reminds us of these core American values in his book, Still the Best Hope.  

Prager's thesis is distilled in this statement:

"There are three ideologies competing for the allegiance of mankind. This competition shapes much of the present world, and the outcome will shape humanity's future. They are Islamist, Leftist, and American."

Still the Best Hope

I'm reading Still the Best Hope by Dennis Prager. In a nutshell, Prager describes the three primary value systems presently vying for authority in the world:

• Islam
• American
• Leftist

This book is a must read for those interested in figuring out what is really going on in America today.

"For Such a Time as This"

Individuals who want to make a difference can relate to the Biblical story of Mordecai, who influenced Queen Esther with the question, " . . . who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"* Consequently, Esther approached the king at the peril of her life, thereby saving her people.
I believe every citizen is born to make a difference, however insignificant that difference may appear through the lens of others. With courage and commitment, I can stand up and speak up for what I believe, joining others in making a difference now.
*Esther 4:14

"Thy Liberty in Law"

A tenet of my religious faith is, "We believe . . . in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." Adherence to this tenet doesn't mean I must like or agree with all the laws.
For example, I don't believe money earned by hard-working citizens should be freely distributed to able-bodied citizens who are not required to work for it. This destructive pattern breeds dependence and even contempt from the very citizens whose lives it is designed to bless. If welfare recipients were required to participate in continuing education, citizens on both sides of the dole could ultimately benefit.

Happy Fourth of July!

I spent the Fourth of July studying for a final exam with no fireworks except those going off in my brain. The exam is scheduled for tomorrow at BSU -- Music 100 -- a five-week-three-credit-hour-40-hour-instruction-80-hour-studying sprint that has been downright fun. The best part is the good grade I'm going to get on the exam. I take that back. The best part is that Boise State offers citizens who are age 60+  the sweet deal of paying $5. per credit hour in addition to the learning.
What a country . . . Happy Birthday America!

"Confirm Thy Soul in Self Control"

The idea that government can improve America by attempting to control everything from the weather to the health choices of citizens is hardly rational.
It's like, let's concern ourselves with controlling the above, but hands off culprits who go door-to-door impregnating teenagers who then require government assistance to raise their children.
How ridiculous is that?
How about less failed government control and more citizens practicing self control.

"God Mend Thine Every Flaw"

God's help would come in handy mending the flaws our country faces now.
I know, I know. Some citizens don't believe in God, and that's their right.
Still, most of us believe.
I believe God will help when we study and attend to His priorities, when we give Him credit for knowing what to do and how to do it, and when we align our behavior with His timeless principles.

Who Made This Mess?

Sometimes, I discover a mess in the house and ask myself, "Who left this mess?" Then, I am reminded  that I live alone. I review my responsibility and clean it up.
Granted, President Obama is not wholly responsible for the mess in our economy. That said, his decisions have made the mess bigger. There is no evidence that he will take responsibility or clean up the aftermath of his failed economic policies.
Instead, the country is being ask to move forward toward vistas of unbridled messes ahead.
Mitt Romney is more invested in cleaning up the mess than in assessing blame to everyone else who helped make it.